The Color Cerulean
by Reggie's Sky Walrus
Summary: Now on a voyage to explore space on a five year mission, Pavel Chekov realizes it isn't what it's made out to be. When he meets a strange girl trying to find out who she is and break free from the lies that ceated her, they unwittingly embark on a journey to discover that nothing is truly as it seems. Chekov x OC *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1: Blink

AU: Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction, though I have had this idea for my OC forever now. Just a heads up, flashback will be used so don't get too confused. This also occurs after Into Darkness and is happening while the crew is on their five year mission. Chapters will (hopefully) be put up once a week, however no promises will be made, especially since midterms are on their merry way. Flames will be used to heat up my dinner, but constructive criticism is always welcome! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Blink

Blink. Blink blink. BEEP. Blink. BEEEEEEEEEP.

"Chekov, will you cut that out?" Sulu turned to him exasperatedly.

"Whoops! Sorry, Sulu. I was…" he sighed,"…bored." Pavel Chekov was very bored. It had only been two months since they had left Earth to begin their mission, but to Chekov, it seemed like a glorified galactic tour. Sure they had stopped by a few planets, but it was mostly just to refuel. He was expecting at least a little bit of excitement. It was space. The final frontier.

Suddenly a loud screech was heard throughout the bay, coming from the elevator. A single pale green hand shot out through the metal doors, and began to push them apart. Soon a whole body was revealed through the ever growing crack. It seemed to be an extremely disheveled woman. Once she had pried the doors apart with only her small hands, she strutted over to the Captain twirling a wrench in her hand.

"Hey, Kirk. Mr. Kilt-for-brains just wanted you to know that there might be a little problem with the elevators, but I wouldn't be too worried about it," she breathed out. "I'll have it fixed before you can say 'warp core'," she said the last part with a mocking Scottish accent, and then hopped back into the elevator and climbed on top of it, and in a blur of red and green she was gone.

After that outburst, everyone seemed to just go on with their duties. Chekov was amazed. She had called the Captain by his first name, openly insulted Scotty, and hadn't even gotten her second stripe yet. Sulu had to shut his mouth for him.

Chekov had never seen this woman before. By now, everyone had already knew everyone (mostly). He had found it very annoying when others didn't remember his name. He didn't know if she was even on the records. He tried to remember her. She looked extremely young, maybe even his age (he had just turned eighteen last month. He didn't really remember the party that much). She must have been from Earth because of her American accent, but she hardly looked like a human. Her skin was a pale green, almost as light as Spock's blush (oh yes, Spock blushed. A lot), and her hair was a deep periwinkle, almost to the point of being a dark blue, and it was cropped short, with her bangs hanging low, windswept on her face. But her face was what really stood out. Her eyes were snake-like, and she didn't appear to have a nose. Her mouth stretched across her face from ear to ear, like a cat from an old book he used to read about Wonderland, however she only ever opened part of her mouth. He found this curious. A line went from the end of her eye into her hairline on both sides, and bordered her striking teal eyes. She almost seemed to frighten him. Oh yes, he definitely would have remembered her. No doubt about it.

He reluctantly went back to his duties, which consisted of doing absolutely nothing. However, he soon realized that the outlandish girl kept making an appearance in his head. She was like remembering something that you had already forgotten. He played with the idea of looking her up when a loud bang was heard. And this time, it wasn't the elevator.

AU: Thank you for reading! Please follow and review, and Live Long and Prosper!


	2. Chapter 2: Seeing Stars

AN: Hello! Here is the second part, and I'm sorry the first was so short. Don't get used to that, I wanted it to be more of an introduction. Some of this chapter will be in flashback form, and I think most of the first few chapters will switch out between my lady and Chekov. I also wanted to thank my first follower, FallingSkiesxxxHalMason. I literally screamed in Buffalo Wild Wings when I got the e-mail (the waitress asked if my wings were too hot). Please enjoy!

Chapter 2:

_Everything looked so small from up here, the girl thought. She reached out to touch a leaf, and it brushed against her fingers so gently she shivered. She swung her legs over the ground, the breeze wrapping softly around them._

_ She was sitting on the only tree in the entire field. It was quiet, yet she enjoyed the sound of silence. It was always so loud everywhere else. The expanse of land stretched far below her swinging feet, and the wind caressed her short purple hair, tickling her face. She let out a soft laugh. Someday she would go to a place that was as quiet and as high off the ground as possible. Someday she would._

She sighed as the vents harshly blew into her face, and she opened her eyes. The tree and field and leaves faded away, and the once small girl stood tall. The sweet sound of silence was replaced by the whirring, mechanical sounds of thousands of machines working at once. A shaking hand came up to wipe her forehead, already beading up with sweat. She ran her fingers through her deep colored hair, the color of her mother's clematis garden. She tried to think, but again she seemed to find her reptilian eyes closing, lids suddenly becoming heavy.

_"Lynn! Lynn, baby, come down! Please, hon. It couldn't possibly have been that bad." The girl turned towards a man, looking small from her perch on the tree. She quickly turned away, not willing to face him. She wanted to be alone._

_ "That's not the way to face your problems, Lynn. Your mother is worried, please talk to us."_

_ The girl instead tried to prolong the sound of silence, and looked to the sky, searching for the light of a star._

She opened her eyes. She found herself on the ground, but she had no idea how she had happened to get there. She began to rub her pointed ears, it often helped her remember these kinds of things. She really hoped she hadn't fainted. She used to do that a lot as a child. She didn't like to remember that very much.

_"Lynn!"_

"Lynn!"

That one was real.

And it was Mr. Kilt-for-Brains.

"Lynn, what in the Lord's name do ya think yer doin' sittin' on yer bloody arse! We got ourselves in the middle of a God-fersaken solar storm!" Scotty spit out.

The woman begrudgingly lifted herself off the grated floor. So that must have been how she got there. "Alrighty then. What seems to be the problem with your baby, Scott?"

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The entire navigational systems had been kicked off, and the support thrusters were failing. The warp core was not damaged (thank the Lord for that. That stupid thing had already caused them enough trouble lately), so Lynn had been sent to the bridge for the second time that day.

"Hey, long-time-no-see everybody! I'm starting to become a regular here. It's nice, pretty cozy. So what can I do you fine ladies and gents for?" She had burst in the same way she had before, since the elevators were being exceedingly difficult in repairing.

"Seems as though our navigating has blown a fuse or something. Chekov should be able to explain more." Kirk motioned to the quivering ensign. Lynn breezed over to him, humored by his discontent towards the situation.

She crossed her arms, smiling deviously. "Okay, Chekov. What seems to be the problem?"

It took him a while to form words. Once he did, he didn't stop, becoming exceedingly harder to understand. However, Lynn took it all in.

"…so, in short, it appears that the energy from the solar flare overwhelmed the circuits, causing the connection between the core and the power coupling cells to be lost." He finally finished, breathing in for the first time since Lynn had barged onto the bridge.

"Well, looks like I got my work cut out for me," and with that, she promptly dropped to the floor right at Chekov's feet, maneuvering around him to crouch under the navigational panel. He automatically took a step back. He imagined that he looked like a gulping fish just standing there and watching her take apart the inner workings of his station, pulling out wires and replacing cells.

After a very short amount of time, she popped her head out from under the panel, careful not to hit a wire. She swiftly stood up, brushing her purple bangs out of her eyes and reattaching her pliers to her belt.

"I replaced the fried wires, but I'm going to have to reestablish the connection with the core. Once that's done, your light-up board-thing should be right as rain." She smiled, happy with her accomplishments.

Chekov continued in his fish-like stance until Kirk thanked her for him. She gave the gaping Russian an amused look, then proceeded in her quest toward the warp core.

Man, he was a weird kid.

AN: Make sure to follow and review, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Live Long and Prosper!


	3. Chapter 3: Fish Lips

AN: Hey my readers! Man it's not even been twenty-four hours, I must be on a roll. I honestly can't stop writing. I've finally got the story mapped out, so I hope you are ready for an interesting ride on the U.S.S. Enterprise! There is some Russian in here, but the translations will be at the end (P.S. I am not fluent in Russian by any stretch of the imagination, so if I mess anything up, please inform me). This will mostly be a Chekov-sided chapter (with an appearance of the lovely Hikaru Sulu), but don't worry. At least not yet (evilly laughs). Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 3: Fish Lips

"Bozhe moy…bozhe moy…Ya debil…" The young ensign held his head in his hands, leaning sorrowfully on the now lit navigator station. He continued to mumble incoherently in Russian as he rocked back and forth.

Everyone had gone to eat lunch in the mess hall, however break had finished almost an hour ago. Not many people on the crew actually returned to their stations on time. It's not like there was anything to do. It seems as though Chekov was not the only one who saw this five year mission as a "glorified galactic tour".

The only other person that remained with him on the bridge was Sulu. Sulu often didn't eat lunch. He just liked practicing his fencing. All the time. Sulu and Chekov weren't exactly "friends". It was more like Sulu just kept Chekov from blowing up the ship and would occasionally tolerate his storytelling ( he also sometimes used him as a practice dummy). Chekov didn't like eating with the rest of the crew. Sure they respected his aptitude and intelligence, but really they only saw him as an "incredibly adorable geeky kid who says stuff funny". He hated being underestimated. Just because he was young and "said stuff funny" didn't mean that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. He was even the chief engineer at one point and singly handedly repaired the warp core and saved the entire ship and defeated Khan. Well, at least he did those last few things in his head.

"What seems to be the problem, young grasshopper?" Sulu grinned as he executed a perfect fleche, the tip of his sword just brushing the middle of the Captain's chair.

Still cradling his face in his hands, he finally turned to the prancing Sulu. "I just stood there, right here, like the idiot I am, while she was waiting for me to say something."

"Who? Who was waiting?" Sulu only half-replied. He usually just listened, questions only came when he didn't understand the situation, and this was making no sense what so ever.

"You know, the mechanic lady. The one who had to fix my navigational board. I just stared at her until our dear Captain had to save the day from my awkward silence." Chekov sighed heavily as he sat back into his swivel chair. He started to spin around in the chair, something he loved to do when the crew wasn't there to say how sweet and cute he was. He liked to see all the colors merge together, the bridge blending into one enormous gray blob. That's what they were, just an enormous grey blob in space. He liked to see things as they were. Everything else was just too complicated.

"Oh that? That's what's bothering you?" Sulu almost laughed, but he knew it might hurt the boy. He hated to admit it, but Chekov was very fragile, both emotionally and physically. He personally thought the boy needed to toughen up a bit. He was going to get nowhere with all these feelings that he had.

"Yes that's what's bothering me! As if they all don't think I'm dysfunctional enough…" Chekov was becoming increasingly agitated. "She must think I'm a mumbling imbecile."

"Why are you so worried about her? She's just another girl. You'll probably never see her again anyway, unless the bridge collapses. She's in engineering with Scotty and you are in command on the bridge with me," Sulu said as he finished a ballestra.

For some reason, Sulu's attempt at consoling him only bothered him more. He didn't seem to know why. The ensign chalked it up to her always having that image of him with his mouth gaping open as her only impression of him. He would have to change that.

He suddenly sat up, sheer determination etched on his face. "I know! I will go talk to her! I'll tell her that I was ill today and that I'm not normally so awkward when it comes to conversations. Then we will engage in an awkward-free conversation, and she won't see me as a bumbling idiot again!" He stated, obviously very proud with his fool-proof plan.

Sulu immediately stopped his attack on the control panel to let out a very long laugh. He was almost on the floor by the time Chekov asked what was the matter.

Sulu tried to make out a complete sentence, but he was soon overcome with a fit of giggles. "You? Not…awkward? I would love…to see the day…that you weren't…awkward," and with that he escaped out into the elevator, where his maniacal cackle echoed faintly down the chute.

"Ya beznadezho..."

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_"Alright, fine. You can stay up there to mope. I'm going home," the small man said, and began to walk back in the direction he had came from. The girl looked back over her shoulder, hurt almost spilling out of her eyes. _

_ "Please don't go, dad," she whispered, still clutching the rough branch. The man stopped, and took a deep sigh before taking off his baseball hat to scratch his balding head._

_ "Okay. I'll sit right here," he breathed, and planted himself firmly on the ground, leaning against the base of the tree._

_ And soon, the coveted sound of silence wrapped around the girl and the man, both gazing at the stars beginning to appear._

"Excuse me, uh, miss? Lady? Mechanic lady? It's me, Chekov," a very small, shaking ensign called out.

Lynn begrudgingly opened her eyes, and looked down at the source of her awakening. She found that she was hanging on a few pipes, far away from the grated floor. She could see it quivering under the tiny kid. She sighed heavily, she wasn't in the mood for guests. Fixing things was the only time that she actually tried to think, to remember. This kid was really starting to annoy her.

"What can I do you for, Chekov? Do I need to check the power cell connection again? It's a pity I wasn't invited back to your shiny command bridge, I was really getting used to not smelling like gas every time I walked out of a room," she half smiled, looming over the young ensign.

Chekov could see his plan was not going to go entirely as expected. What about her made him so afraid? So intimidated? "Well, I don't think that…uh…today was the best first impression, so I thought I might…visit you to get it…um…cleared up. I think," he had no idea what he was saying, he just prayed that it was good.

The woman lifted an eyebrow, but decided it would be best to play along (and not make too much fun of him). "You're probably right. I don't usually get on my knees until the third date," she smiled, dripping with sarcasm. It took him a while to get that one (Spock had nothing on Chekov when it came to blushing). She promptly jumped down from the pipes, landing gracefully onto the grates, and extended out a clawed hand. "I sure love being called "mechanic lady" all the time, but if you'd like to know my name is Seirulaen Arquette. You can just call me Lynn, though. It's a heck of a lot easier to pronounce."

"Isn't that like the color, cerulean?" Chekov questioned, quickly shaking her small hand.

Lynn almost frowned at the connection, but she attempted to explain. "Yes it is like the color. It was my mom's favorite shade of blue, but she always hated how it was spelled. As if I wasn't 'unique' enough," she sighed, but never forgot to keep her nonchalant air. "So, who are you?"

Chekov seemed to always have trouble forming words around her. "I am Pavel Chekov. It's spelled like it sounds," he tried to smile. He wasn't a bad kid, she thought.

Just really awkward.

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After that strange introduction, Chekov left the mechanical bay feeling better about the whole situation. Sulu was right, she probably would never see him again anyway. Now she would have an almost perfect image of him forever.

At least he hoped so.

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AN: bozhe moy=oh my God, ya debil= I am a moron, ya beznadezho= I am hopeless

Thanks for reading! These chapters have been coming fast, so I hope I can get another one out today. Make sure to follow and review, and Live Long and Propsper!


	4. Chapter 4: The Art of Breathing

AN: Hello! I hope you are ready for a very bumpy ride. I'm just going to warn you that there will be underage drinking in this one, I'm sorry, it had to happen. I want to thank my readers so much, your reviews and follows and favorites really inspire me to write more! You may notice that a cover image has been added. I created it myself, and it is my depiction of Seirulaen. This will mostly be a Lynn story, but our socially awkward friend Chekov will definitely have a very interesting role to play. After this chapter the story will mostly center around the two of them. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 4: The Art of Breathing

Chekov had been playing an old handheld game under his desk when Sulu rudely started poking him. He tried desperately to ignore him. He needed to beat the boss level. At first it was just a little brush, but soon they increased to rapid-fire jabs.

"What is it, Sulu?" Chekov finally hissed, slapping his device shut. "What is so important that you had to interrupt me in the middle of-" Sulu cut him off by shushing him.

"There's going to be a detour tonight. Everyone's getting real tired of all this space nonsense, so we're going to stop by the nearest planet and find the closest bar. It's real hush-hush though. It's not like we can let the Captain know," he whispered, eyes lighting up at the prospect of a drink.

They weren't supposed to drink on duty, and most followed that rule (except for Scotty. He couldn't function without his scotch. Most people didn't mind too much though), no matter how boring life in the sky may be. This, however, sounded promising.

"I have been needing a break," Chekov said, almost to himself, even though he hadn't really been doing anything. He validated this point by promptly opening back up his game and continuing his virtual quest.

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Lynn opened her eyes. She was on the floor again, but this time it wasn't because of a solar flare. Her shaking hands touched her face, trying to see if everything was all there. She carefully tried to sit up, quivering as she pulled her knees to her chest. She stared unblinkingly at the grated floor, trying to let the humming of the machines calm her. She checked her pulse. She must have had a panic attack. She hadn't had one since she was very young. She would get them all the time, especially when she was away from her parents.

She rested her head against the wall. She tried to breathe. She had to keep it together. This was not the time, nor the place. She tried to distract herself by doing a quick visual check of the inner workings of the main thrusters. Everything seemed to be in order, except that they weren't on.

Why weren't they on? Lynn tried to stand. She almost collapsed back onto the floor, but she caught herself on an engine. She forced her eyes to open in concentration, and slowly walked to the control panel. Everything was off. We must have stopped, she thought. Why did we stop?

In search of answers, Lynn started towards the hall. Still leaning on the wall for support, she soon realized the place was deserted. She tried every unlocked door and even checked the restrooms, but the only sign of life she saw was a lone mouse. She would have to take care of him later. She finally made it to the control bridge, where her answers were all but screaming at her. As plain as day was a tacky pub in the middle of nowhere, complete with blinking neon lights.

This had to be a joke.

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It wasn't. The whole crew had blatantly left their posts, landed on a foreign planet to get themselves drunk, and totally forgot about her.

The bar smelled like alcohol and desperation, with Star Fleet's finest cackling like deranged hyenas slumped over their drinks. It was very dark, and lighting was limited. Lynn stood at the doorway for a minute just to take in the scene. It was pathetic. Honestly. Even Kirk was indulging himself in his third mug of beer. She huffed in disgust. She was about to storm off to sabotage the bridge in revenge when she spotted Chekov. It took her a while to realize it was him.

It looked to her that he was in the middle of a drinking battle with a very, very enormous red shirt. Lynn remembered him as "Cupcake". He probably could eat Chekov, she thought. Chekov had already gone through at least fourteen shots of pure vodka, and it didn't look like he was ready to stop. A crowd had gathered around them, with Sulu taking bets. With her hand on the doorway, she knew she couldn't leave him like that. He probably wouldn't even make it to the ship by the time they lifted off. Though she knew she owed him nothing, she felt bad for him nonetheless, and soon found herself marching straight over to their table.

"That surely…can't be the best…you can do, big fella?" Chekov slurred his words, almost falling out of his seat. Man, he was really, really drunk.

"Watcha call me, Russian?" Cupcake leered. This would not end well, not at all.

"Hey, Chekov, you remember me? Lynn?" She tried with a fake smile. She had to get him out of there. He slowly looked up at her, eyebrows knit in concentration.

"You're…blue, right? The color?" Chekov started, trying desperately to remember their introduction that occurred only a week ago.

Lynn winced. "Yes, the color. I'm going to take you back to the ship now, Chekov."

"He's still got to finish his shot, lady," Sulu countered.

"Yeah, we're having so much…fun," Chekov smiled stupidly.

"Well party's over for the Russian kid, boys. Now enjoy your drinks and try not to kill each other," Lynn firmly stated, and to validate her point she smiled using her whole mouth. She was literally grinning from ear to ear, revealing two rows of perfectly sharpened fangs. This was enough to shut them up, and Sulu had already changed the subject by throwing his collection of bartered money in the air for all to take.

Lynn took one of Chekov's arms and hoisted him up off his chair. He was very light, even while he was dragging his feet on the floor. He had started singing the Russian national anthem by the time they had made it out of the hot bar.

Lynn breathed a sigh of relief to get out of the alcohol fumes. "You are an idiot, you know that, Chekov?" Lynn grumbled.

"Call me Pavel, Blue," he giggled in reply. Lynn rolled her eyes.

"You are going to have the universe's worst hangover tomorrow," she said under her breath. "You shouldn't even be drinking, you're just a kid."

"Everyone gets a drink in Russia. Grandmas get drinks, dads get drinks, Pavel gets drinks, babies get drinks, everybody gets a drink!" He tried to jump up, but he almost stumbled into a telephone pole. "Besides, you shouldn't be…drinking either," he hiccupped as they entered the Enterprise.

"I don't drink, Chekov," Lynn sighed exasperatedly.

"What did I say about my name? I am Pavel, Lord of the Russian mountain bears," he cried valiantly.

"Well, Lord of the Russian mountain bears, here's your room." Lynn shoved him off her and onto his bed. He broke into a fit of giggles before he finally passed out.

"Man, you are one weird kid."

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AN: Yeah, sorry about this one. It felt like the perfect way to break the ice between these two. Thanks for reading, and please review, follow and favorite! Next chapter might take me a little bit longer, so sit tight! Live Long and Prosper!


	5. Chapter 5: Lord Russian Mountain Bears

AN: Hello all! I can't wait to share the coming chapters with you all, every update I make brings us closer to the climactic ending. All your questions will be answered and you won't see any of it coming! But before we get to that, I had to make this quick "morning after" chapter because I needed to clear some stuff up between Chekov and Lynn. There's also a little bit of language in this one, but nothing too wild. I hope you can keep up, because after these next few chapters it's going to get a whole lot more complicated. Naslazhdat'sya! (P.S. I don't own Star Trek or its characters, except for Lynn. Back off she's mine.)

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Chapter 5: Lord of the Russian Mountain Bears

Bright light streamed into the monochrome room, with the blinds doing nothing to filter the harsh sunlight. Chekov slowly opened his eyes, only to immediately close them.

"Oy vey," he whispered. He brought up a hand to rub his temples. Something felt wrong. He begrudgingly hoisted himself up. That didn't feel any better, not by a long shot. It took him a few minutes to get the pressure in his head to settle down. When he finally opened his eyes, he almost jumped out of his skin.

Across from his bed was a chair and table. That wasn't what frightened him, it was the person in it. With legs sprawled across the table and head hanging back, was a snoring Seirulaen Arquette.

What the hell happened last night?

He frantically tried to remember, images blurring together and meshing to become undecipherable. She was in full uniform, though she had taken her boots off at the door. He hesitantly checked himself. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when he noticed that he as well was in uniform. So it hadn't been that disastrous.

He still didn't know why he was there, or even why she was there. More importantly he had no recollection of last night's events. He mustered up enough courage to start towards the slumbering Lynn, shaking nervously all the way. He slowly went to nudge her shoulder, but in a silent flash Lynn had caught his arm and twisted it deeply behind his back, enough to make him shout out in pain.

"Whoops, sorry Lord of the Russian mountain bears. I forgot where I was for a moment," she apologized as she released him. He rubbed his shoulder in remorse. "It's a defense mechanism," she tried half-heartedly.

Once he had gotten over the shock of her surprise attack, Chekov looked up at her questioningly. "Lord of the Russian mountain bears?"

Lynn tried to hide a smile, reflecting on something clearly amusing. "Oh, that. One of the many humorous titles you made up for yourself last night. You have quite the imagination," she chuckled.

"Was it really that bad?" Chekov started bashfully.

"Well, by the time I dragged your sorry ass back from the bar you were blubbering about a sky walrus named Reggie. You had attempted to pick a fight with a red shirt I'm sure could have eaten you for breakfast. Once I got you to your room I tried to leave you be, but every time I took a step out the door you would wake up and either burst into hysterics or try to jump out the window to prove to me that you could fly. I decided it would be better to take this as an invitation to my first sleepover," she crossed her arms casually.

So it must have been really bad. Well, that answered his questions, but soon enough another one grew in his mind.

"Well, I've had a real blast, but I'm going to have to go restart the engines before the rest of our brilliant crew wakes up. I recommend a few gallons of water and a nice long nap," she began to breeze out the door until Chekov stopped her.

"Why did you help me back?" He didn't mean for it to come out so loud, but she immediately stopped in the middle of the doorway. She put a hand out to brace herself on the metal before she slowly turned around. She suddenly looked very young to him, confidence almost cleanly wiped off her face. It was unsettling for him to see. For a few moments she gazed at him in silence, searching his face.

"I didn't think it was right to leave you there, without anyone to look after you. No one should be left without anybody," she whispered, barely audible.

Chekov was puzzled. He didn't seem to understand. "Well who's there to look after you?"

Lynn smiled sorrowfully, heartbreaking just to look at. "I look after myself."

And then she was gone, leaving a very hung over ensign extremely confused and alone.

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AN: Thanks for reading! Please follow, review and favorite! As always, Live Long and Prosper!


	6. Chapter 6: Phases of the Moon

AN: Hey all! We are continuing on in our quest, and this chapter will focus on Chekov and Lynn's uneasy friendship. I don't want to rush into their relationship, so please be patient! I've also decided to put up a chapter once a day, so don't get too excited. Thank you for all the views, and I really appreciate the follows and favorites. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 6: Phases of the Moon

_"They don't like me, dad. They say I'm…different," the girl said. They were back at the tree in the field. They came there together almost every day, savoring the quiet. Today the girl decided to break their vow of silence. Her brow was furrowed in intense concentration, trying desperately to understand something that could never be understood._

_ The man looked up at her from the base of the tree. He looked very small from her point of view. Everything looked so small, so insignificant from up there in the leaf-ridden branches. He searched her face, and the silence stretched out for a few more moments._

_ "Lynn, you are different," he started slowly. "We are all different. Not a single person in this universe is the same as another. Some people's differences make them who they are, and they make them special. Others can be used to hold them down, but they will only stop you if you let them. Are you going to let your differences stop you, Lynn?"_

"No, no, no! Yer doin' this wrong, Lynn. Ya can't charge the single power cell with the double power cell amplifier," Scotty ridiculed. He was in a horrible mood because someone had told the Captain about his hidden stash of scotch. He just couldn't function properly without his scotch. It was a miracle that he could actually function with it.

Lynn sighed. Scotty's tirades were becoming more and more tiresome. It had been over a week since the fiasco at the bar, and everyone still seemed to be suffering from a severe case of hangover. "Alright, I'll take care of it, Scott. You should just take a nap or something before that poor brain of yours explodes," she huffed out.

"I will, thank ya very much," he said as he stormed off. He was so exasperating. He needed to loosen his kilt. She jumped up to the top platform, glad to be alone. She laid down on the grated floor, looking up the ceiling so far away, void of a single star.

Lynn had just closed her eyes when she heard a loud crash from below her. She quickly looked over her platform to see a box of random engine parts scattered on the floor. A surprised Chekov slunk his head out from another platform.

"Sorry about that," he tried awkwardly.

She sighed. "Oh, it's just you. Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it later," she mumbled, going to lay back down on the grates above him. She was done with this conversation. He, apparently, wasn't.

"I…never thanked you for carrying me back to my room last week," he started. She winced, wishing he could just forget about it.

"You're welcome, now get out of here before I start to regret not leaving your Russian ass back on that rock," she grumbled.

Chekov decided to ignore that last comment. "I've been thinking about what you said to me that morning, about looking out for yourself," he paused, almost unsure of himself. She was listening intently now, worried about what he might have remembered. "I thought that maybe, since you look after me and yourself…we could look after each other."

Lynn froze, right then and there on that grated platform in the middle of deep space. She thought another panic attack was coming on, but she soon realized that she just didn't know what to do. She thought frantically for something to say, to use to deflect his offer. He was so genuine, so honest with her. Why? Why was he no longer afraid of her? Everyone else was.

"I… alright," is what she heard herself say, looking down at his opened face.

"When do we start?"

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For the next passing weeks, Pavel Chekov and Seirulaen Arquette were almost inseparable.

Sulu found that he was left without a practice dummy during lunch in the bridge. Chekov now ate with Lynn on the grated platforms in the mechanical bay.

They took walks in the halls, discussing everything under the sun from Uhura's hair extensions to Spock's infamous emo phase. They argued about the importance of the yeomen and the curse on security red shirts. Chekov even started teaching Lynn Russian.

They spent most of their free time in the rafters of the mechanical sector, after Chekov had gotten over his fear of heights. Sometimes they didn't even need to talk. Sometimes they would just sit there, enjoying each other's company and the sound of silence. She had told him once about how she had always wished to get as high in the sky as possible, how she memorized every constellation, every planet, every galaxy in the hopes of someday going there. Chekov would just listen, happy to have someone by his side.

As they grew closer together, they each changed drastically, however neither one seemed to notice. Chekov no longer worried about what the crew thought of him, he would gallantly skip down the halls with confidence as long as Lynn was by his side. His reserved manner was thrown to the wind, and now he was open about anything and everything. Lynn's once arrogant air of confidence slowly melted away, bit by bit, her armor cracked. She gradually let go of her previous walls, and she tried to be as open as possible.

But some things will never change.

Lynn never told him about where she came from. Whenever Chekov asked about her family, she would try to change the subject. If he asked about her childhood, she would pretend she didn't hear him. When her origins come up, so did the walls. Throughout all the transformations they had gone through together, that defense mechanism would still remain.

Chekov could see it. He had gotten to know her so well that he could tell that this was something that he would probably never get to know, these were questions that she would never answer. He accepted that fact in the beginning, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her.

This friendship with Chekov scared Lynn. It was so different, so close. They were so connected with each other, so open. She had never had a relationship like that with anyone ever before. It frightened her that one person could affect her so much, change her in a way that she had hoped would never be altered.

As their friendship intensified, Lynn began to become more and more aware of what was happening. Scenarios played out in her head, haunting her when she was alone. She couldn't shake the feeling that was looming over her, like an ominous thundercloud over a vacant field.

_The land had transformed around her. She was out of breath by the time she had finally reached the tree, sheltered in its embrace. A roll of thunder was heard throughout the field, and the girl looked up to the sky. The clouds were heavy and black, shielding the stars. They rolled hungrily towards her, relentless in their quest. Soon rain spilled from them, drenching the land in a cool chill. The leaves tried to shield the little girl as best they could, but soon the rain mixed with her tears._

_She was alone once again._

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AN: Thanks for reading! This chapter was harder to write than the others have been, but I hope you enjoyed it! It's going to start to get pretty intense, so hold on to your hats. Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	7. Chapter 7: Collapse

AN: Hello! This chapter is going to be a bit more serious than previous ones. I'm trying to change the pacing a little bit, so the next few chapters might seem a little different. It was really hard to write this certain part, and let me tell you, I had to listen to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie before I was able to do it justice. Naslazhdat'sya!

*ALERT* I had to re-upload chapter 6 because the last half of it was cut off. Please look back to read it because this chapter will make no sense if you haven't. Sorry for the inconvenience!

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Chapter 7: Collapse

Chekov hummed while he frantically shoved his reports into his bag, trying to power down his station and fix his hair at the same time. He was just about knocked over by the Captain on his way out of the bridge.

"You okay, Chekov? You've been more energetic than usual lately," James Tiberius Kirk commented with a smirk as Chekov tried to steady himself.

"Me? Nope. I'm just my normal, adorable Russian self," he pulled a fake smile. Lynn would be wondering where he was. He had gotten so used to their lunch breaks over the last few weeks, it felt wrong to stay in the bridge past noon. That last barrier check had taken way too long. He rushed down the hallway, almost tripping over his own two feet in the process. Lunch was almost over by the time he made it to the mechanical bay.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Sulu insisted that I double check the unidentified objects radar because we're approaching the Emtek quadrant, and you know what a ship graveyard that is. Gives me shivers just thinking about it," he mused as he set down his bag. He waited for her response, probably a snarky reply about how a slight change in temperature could make him shiver. After a few moments of silence, his face contorted in confusion. "Uh…Lynn?" He started walking around the bay, careful not to knock over another box of spare parts.

After a lap around the catwalks and a quick jog across the rafters, he began to worry that she had already left. Just as he was about to give up and head back to the bridge, he found her.

Chekov smiled in relief. She was sitting on the floor, holding her hands in her lap. Her back was to him.

"Lynn-"

"You could have left me, you know," she whispered. "I thought you had left me. It's not like I was surprised. Everyone leaves me, sooner or later.

His face twisted, trying to understand what was happening. "Lynn, what are you-"

"It was stupid of me to think that you would stay so long. But could you really blame me for thinking that you were different?"

"Is this because I missed lunch?" He tried weakly, still processing the situation. She turned her head to look at him, eyes almost spilling over with hurt.

Every word she spoke was a whisper, almost inaudible. "No. I've just been preparing myself for a while now, and I thought that this might have been the time that it finally happened. That you finally left me."

"I don't understand-"

"No you don't!" The hurt was replaced by anger as she viciously lashed out at him. "You don't now and you never will. You will never understand what it is like to be me, what I've been through," she cried. Then it was like the walls had started to crumble, collapsing in on themselves, and everything she had refused to tell him suddenly came tumbling out.

" I grew up in a small town in Maine. An oyster farmer found me one day in one of his nets. His wife wanted to throw me back into the water when she first saw me, but he wouldn't let her. He adopted me as his own daughter, and he said I was a gift. He was the only one in the town that thought that. I was the only non-human for over a hundred miles. They had no idea where I came from, or how I got there. They had never seen anything like me before. They hid their children from me, and closed the doors to their shops whenever I walked down the street. They called me a monster, disgusted to even look me in the face. He didn't care. He loved me, and I loved him. He was the only one that stopped the townspeople from throwing me out into the next state. Until he died." Lynn couldn't stop talking at that point, the anger beginning to wash away as the tears streamed down her pale face. "I was truly alone after that. His wife immediately threw me out of her house, and I was shunned everywhere else. I had to walk all the way to Ohio until someone finally picked me up. I was eleven years old." By now she was sobbing uncontrollably, trying to remember how to breathe. "I had always dreamed of going into space as a girl, so I joined Star Fleet as a mechanic. I thought this would be the best way to fulfill my dream, and to find where I came from. That was all I cared about in the beginning, to find out where I belonged. I had accepted the fact that no one of any other species could ever care about me , that I would be alone until I found my true family.

"But then I met you. I got to know you and talk to you and laugh with you and for a moment I thought that I could be happy not knowing where I belonged. I thought that you could be enough. But I never forgot those people's faces, the pure hatred burning in their eyes. Soon I began to remember, and the memories kept invading, poisoning everything that I had once thought. I started to again accept that no one could care for me, that I was alone, but I didn't want to believe it.

"And today, when I didn't see you at lunch, my mind automatically jumped to the conclusion that I was right, that I had always been right," she let out a dry laugh. "I always have to be right," she whispered mockingly. She turned away from him once more, allowing the silence to drag on. "I thought that I was alone again." Suddenly her composure changed, as if she had just remembered something. "You probably think I'm an idiot," she whispered to herself, wiping her face of with her sleeve, "overreacting over a stupid hour alone." She started to laugh, slowly at first, but it soon became a loud roar that echoed through the bay.

Chekov found this whole situation far from humorous. He looked on to the delirious girl, finally beginning to understand, to see her as she was. She was just a lost girl, trying desperately to find out who she was. She was so heartbreakingly broken, and yet she had too much pride to admit it to herself. He did not pity her. That would be a blow to her ego. He felt something for her that was so new, so foreign to him. His mathematical mind tried to put the numbers together, to make an equation that made since, but he soon realized that it was impossible to understand this newfound emotion, let alone describe it. He knew only one thing that he could do.

Pavel Chekov knelt down beside the cackling Seirulaen Arquette, and wrapped his arms around her. It was stiff at first, with Lynn still trying to process what he was doing, falling silent. She hesitantly put her hands on his back, and took a deep breath, and before she knew it she was sobbing into his shirt. She melted into the hug, savoring his warmth. She was tired of trying to forget, and trying to remember. She was tired of seeing the hate in the eyes of everyone she met, tired of holding the anger burrowed deep inside of her. She was tired of being alone.

Chekov just listened to her cry into his uniform, and all he could do was hold her tighter. All anyone could do was hold on, and know when to let go.

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AN: I'm sorry if that was really depressing. I cried a little bit while writing it. My plans for this story have changed a lot over the course of these last couple of chapters, so I'm playing it by ear a little bit. Thank you so very much for reading this, and I'll try to make the next chapter a little brighter! Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	8. Chapter 8: Menagerie Part I

AN: Hey all! So this is the chapter that finally sets the plot in motion. It's going to be a bit confusing, but it'll make sense later. I'm really excited for these next few chapters, and I hope you are too! Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 8: Menagerie Part I

After that day in the mechanical bay, Chekov almost never left Lynn's side. There was nothing between them anymore, everything that ever stood in their way collapsed that day. They were completely open with one another, and they knew everything about the other.

It got better for a little while. Sometimes Lynn would have an episode every once and while, but they were small and Chekov knew how to deal with them. He would just hold her until it passed, and then she would usually fall asleep. He started to see how young she truly was when he was holding her, almost like a child. It was very uncommon that she ever remembered what had happened after she woke up, and Chekov never told her. He thought it was best not to.

Things were almost okay again, and they built their relationship back up. The episodes came less and less, and soon Lynn started to seem like herself again. They continued their banter and went on never ending walks throughout the halls, arguing and discussing mindless topics. It seemed as though the universe was once again balanced. More or less.

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Blink. Blink blink. BEEP. Blink. BEEEEEEEEEEP.

"Chekov, I thought we have had this conversation before," Sulu turned to him exasperatedly.

"It's…not me," Chekov managed to get out.

"Sir, we're being hailed," Uhura called, surprise written on her face

"I think there's an approaching ship, Captain," Chekov added. This had never happened to them before. This was the first time in three months that they had actually made contact with another ship, and it wasn't to ask for directions.

"Scan it, Sulu," Kirk ordered.

"It's not Star Fleet. Actually, we have no records of it anywhere. I don't even know what kind of ship it is," Sulu replied, intently skimming through data files.

"Is it armed?" The Captain was becoming impatient.

"…yes," Sulu said after a pause. Everyone was staring at the Captain, worry etched on their faces. The moment felt frozen.

"Uhura, patch them through," Kirk finally commanded.

"Yes, sir," she sighed. This was not looking good at all. The screen hummed to life, first showing only static, but soon enough a man was revealed.

He must have been some form of humanoid. His skin was a deep cinnamon, warm and smooth. His ears pointed upwards, as well as his smirking mouth. His face was sharp and angular, and a side of his head had been shaved off. His hair was a deep maroon and it hung sharply over half of his face. The most striking thing about him was his eyes. They were reptilian, as green as a snake's. There was something about them that struck Chekov, almost as if he remembered them but couldn't seem to recall where. They sent a shiver down his spine. The stranger surveyed the crew as if they were something to eat, staring menacingly at them.

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Is there some way that we can assist you?" Kirk said, wearing his best poker face. The man smiled, showing two rows of finely sharpened fangs.

"Yes, there is some way you can assist me," he hissed." I need your ship."

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"…I'm on the edge…of glory…do do do…" Lynn mumbled as she tightened a screw in the main power cell. She had found a few of Chekov's ancient CD's from the twenty first century. He was really into old music. She started humming, and soon she was awkwardly dancing around the catwalk, throwing her arms around and moving her feet to the beat of the music. The second reprise was about to kick in when a disheveled Scotty rushed in, fiddling with all the emergency thrusters. Lynn took out her ear buds and called down to him.

"Hey, Scott. Where's the fire? Did someone steal your scotch again?" She chuckled to herself. Making fun of her superior would never get old.

He didn't even look at her. "Lynn, I have no time for yer foolish attempts to push me buttons. We have ta make sure we're ready fer an emergency warp jump."

Her smile waned. "You're not making any sense, boss."

"We're under bloody siege! Now get yer green arse over here and help me with the safety precautions," he spit out, pace accelerating. Though Scotty had a tendency to overreact on more than one occasion, she knew when it was not a good time to question him. She flew down the stairs, the importance of her cooperation daunting.

"What can I do, Scott?"

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Lynn sprinted down the hall, slipping every once and a while. The attacker had begun shooting immobilizing missiles at the ship's hull, and the shields were faltering. She had to get to the bridge.

Suddenly something a lot bigger than the missiles hit, and she was thrown into the wall. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain, and she attempted to stand. She clutched her arm to her chest and began to jog to the bridge.

The place was in complete chaos when she arrived. Circuits were fried, and stations were going up in flames. She maneuvered around a woman being carried out by one of the nurses and made her way to Sulu's board, still holding her right arm against her chest. She found him hiding under his desk in the fetal position. She would have laughed if she wasn't in so much pain.

"You better be thanking your lucky stars that I'm left-handed," she grumbled, kicking the whimpering officer out from under his station. She surveyed the damage. The connection with the main power cells and warp core had been severed. She cursed under her breath, and pulled out her communicator.

"Scott? You there?"

"Where else would I be?" He must have been running, his strained voice kept moving in and out.

" I'm going to have to ask you to trust me on this one. I need you to restart the warp core." A string of profanities broke out from the other end that would make a drunken sailor blush.

"…restart the warp core? Do you know what that would mean? We would be without power, without defenses, without gravity, without everything!"

"The connection with the warp core and the power cells is dead, Scott. If we can't get away from this maniac or get our shields up, so are we. We have to restart the core so the connection can be reestablished. If we don't, we'll be blown into the next galaxy. Think about it. I can replace the fried counterparts while its off, and then we can turn it back on. I did the same when that solar flare happened," she pleaded. For a few moments, all she heard was static as she anticipated his answer.

"Considering our position, it does seem like the best option at this point. I'll inform the Captain. You have to know how important it is that you do this quickly, Lynn. We have mere minutes before he realizes we are totally defenseless and powerless. Scotty out."

And then the line went dead.

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"Chekov, make an announcement. We are going to temporarily shut down the warp core, so tell the crew to strap in and get ready," the Captain ordered. "This is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride."

The attacker was relentless, and was now threatening to unleash twin phaser missiles at the power cells, immediately blowing up the entire ship. It seemed like he knew what he was doing.

It took a little while for Chekov to process what was about to play out. He hesitantly turned on the intercom and cleared his throat.

This was going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.

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"Lynn, are you ready?" Scotty's voice was garbled over the communicator.

"Yeah, I'm ready," her voice broke at the end, and she tried to prepare herself. She was going to have to replace all the wires in the stations and the converged ones in the core as well as the power cells before the attacker discovered that they were flying on empty. If the connection hadn't been reestablished by then, they were space dust. No pressure.

She was laying down looking up at the main control center from the adjoining stations, pliers in hand.

"Alright, we're off in 3…2…1."

The ground shifted under her and the communicator went dead. She was strapped into a gravity suit to make sure that she didn't end up somewhere else, and the lights flicked off. They were completely powerless. The U.S.S. Enterprise was dead.

Lynn turned to the task at hand, beginning to frantically strip the motherboard of its fried wires. As soon as she replaced them, she ran as fast as she could in the heavy suit to the warp core. Since the suit also blocked radiation, she barged through all the precautionary doors without a second thought. She located the main port and ripped out the inner workings, and exchanged them for new parts. Once she was sure that she had remembered to replace everything, she hurried to the power cells.

She was so close, she could feel it. The anticipation was building, and she felt like she was in the dark, suddenly missing Scotty's constant corrections.

Then she was in the air for the second time that day, slamming into another wall. The attacker knew that they were powerless. She was too late.

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"Bozhe moy…bozhe moy," Chekov muttered. He was weightless, floating down the vacant halls of the Enterprise. Everyone else had been strapped in their rooms, but he knew he couldn't stay locked in like that. Lynn might need his help.

It was then that he felt the entire ship shift. All he thought about was getting to Lynn, he had to make sure she was alright. He rounded the corner into the mechanical bay, holding on to the sides.

"Lynn? Lynn?"

"Chekov? What are you doing in here? You're going to get yourself killed," she yelled, her voice faint.

"I…wanted to make sure you were okay," he called out, trying to follow her voice.

"I'm fine. I need to reestablish the connection with the power cells, we can't take a hit like that again," her voice was strained, cracking at the end.

"You don't sound fine, Lynn," he called.

"I am. Please go, I don't want you to get hurt," she cried. She was trying desperately to fuse the plates of the fuselage back together. She just had to connect two more wires, she was almost done. Tools and spare parts danced through the air, and she grabbed her pliers frantically.

"I'm…almost…just a little…bit….there," she mumbled. "Done. I'm done," she yelled, and promptly shoved the switch to the power cells on. The machine hummed to life, and the bay was illuminated once again. The air suddenly felt heavier, and Chekov fell to the floor as Lynn collapsed. The communicators were back on and so were the shields, seemingly just in time.

Lynn thought they were fireworks, but she soon realized that it was the second missile hitting the shield. The explosion lit up the expanse of black, like a rainbow in an oil spill. In that moment, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A smile played at her lips, slowly fading as the world around her suddenly went dark, as black as space itself.

TO BE CONTINUED

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AN: I thought it was getting a little boring with all that lovin' going on, so I decided this would be the best time to pull out the big guns (pun intended). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be putting up part two tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and please make sure to follow, favorite and review! I appreciate it so much. Live Long and Prosper!


	9. Chapter 9: Menagerie Part II

AN: Hello there! I was struck with a major case of writer's block on this one. I scrapped it three times before it was substantial enough for my standards. I really hope you've decided to stick with me this far, because I'm really pumped about this next chapter. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 9: Menagerie Part II

_The wind howled along the field, rolling through the dry grasses. It was on the edge of winter, almost there but not quite. The frigid cold bit at the small girl. _

_ She stared unblinkingly out to the sky, a clear grey haze. She averted her gaze back to the never ending expanse of land. She didn't look up to the sky anymore, gazing at the majesty of the stars. She was sitting on a tree stump in the middle of a field._

_ A woman approached her, always a few steps away. She never looked at her. "Seirulaen. It's time to go now."_

"Lynn, it's time to wake up."

The world around her suddenly exploded in a spectacle of color, temporarily blinding her. Before her eyes could focus, the past suddenly crashed into her.

"Did it…work? Are we captured? Is he captured? Are we dead?" Words spilled out her mouth so quickly she forgot what she was saying.

"No, you're fine, kid. Took one hell of a beating. I mean the ship. You don't look so great yourself, though. Took me a while to figure out what exactly was wrong with you, seems as though I have no record on your species' general anatomy. That made it a little difficult, I don't mean to pat myself on the back, but-" Lynn quickly cut off the babbling doctor.

"Did it work?" She tried to be firm. She must have been in the medical bay.

The doctor seemed a little put off that he didn't get to continue his speech, but he huffed out a reply anyway. "Yeah, your plan worked. Once the power cells got the shields up, we had enough time to fight back and catch that bastard. Put up one hell of a fight, I'll say that much."

Lynn finally leaned back into the pillow, sighing in relief. She had done it. She had saved the ship. A smiled danced faintly at her lips, until she realized where she was.

"What happened to me?"

The doctor almost smiled, ecstatic to continue with his monologue. "As I was saying, I had no idea what your particular anatomy was, so I had to improvise. Its seems as though you broke your right arm in two places, and fractured a few ribs on that side as well. I was surprised that you hadn't collapsed the second time you were hit, but that Russian of yours said you were still working after the second blast. You didn't give into the shock until you had just flipped the switch, quite miraculous given your-"

"Russian? Chekov? Is he alright? Where is he?" She bolted upright, suddenly frantic with worry.

The doctor gave her a look of murderous intentions, but decided it would be best to answer her. "Yes, the kid is fine. After the gravity was restored he dragged you here. I don't know how he did it, you were so heavy in that suit-"

"Where is he?" She grabbed him by the shirt, forcing him down to her eye level.

"Hold your horses, lady. He's right outside," he ordered. He didn't like her very much, and the feeling was obviously mutual.

"Chekov?" She tried to jump out of the bed, but a wave of pain crashed over her before she had one foot on the floor.

"Lynn, calm down. You're going to hurt yourself," Chekov tried as he came in.

"I'll just leave you two to it," the doctor huffed, stomping into the next ward.

Chekov started to brush her hair away from her face when he reached her bed, but she angrily swatted his hand away.

"You are the most idiotic person I have ever met. I had everything under control. I was almost done with the power cell. You could have been hurt, or worse, for no reason. Why can't you just listen to simple instructions?" If he wasn't hurt by the blasts, he was sure as hell going to be hurt by her.

"I couldn't just leave you. I had no idea where you were, or if you were alright. I didn't know if everything was under control or not. You can't blame me for trying to help you," he replied.

"I can take care of myself. I don't know why you've been treating me like I'm glass all of a sudden. I didn't need saving, I can save myself," she spit out. How could he have been that selfish, leaving her alone like that? She would never be able to live with herself if he died for her. Of course she couldn't tell him that. It would make her look weak. She couldn't let him know how much he truly meant to her. After all they had been through, all the changes for the better, the external shell of armor was starting to grow back. She was trying to push him away, when all he was trying to do was help.

He almost didn't want to believe that this was happening again. "Why are you doing this? You're acting like a child," he retorted. He couldn't help the edge to his voice, cutting against her.

And then she was saying it, the word she never wanted to say, always dreaming that he'd be the one saying it. Lying to him was like lying to herself, but she had to do it. She couldn't risk this any longer.

"Goodbye, Pavel."

For a moment he didn't know what she meant. It was like the third missile had hit, though it had only struck him. He was flying through space, grabbing at something to steady himself. He couldn't breathe.

So he did the only thing that could be done, and left, just as he took his last breath, swallowed by the never ending expanse of space.

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AN: Thanks for reading! This chapter was supposed to go in a totally different direction, but I think I'll be able to work with it. I'm sorry it was so short! Please follow, favorite and review and Live Long and Prosper!


	10. Chapter 10: Drift On

AN: Hey all! Sorry this is so late, I've been a little busy. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 10: Drift On

Lynn wandered the halls after he left. She pushed past the blabbering doctor, on a mission to go somewhere that she didn't have the directions to.

She tried to remember what happened, what she had done, but she couldn't. She wouldn't let herself process the extent of her injuries, those she had and those she had inflicted. She clutched at her chest gasping in pain, but she knew that it wasn't because of her crushed ribs or fractured arm. It was because of him.

She depended on him so much, but she would never admit it, to herself or to him. He was gone because of her. She couldn't accept that there was some things that she couldn't handle on her own, there were some things that she did not have under control. But she had him, who could help her. She didn't have to be alone. She finally realized that though she could not do everything by herself, she had someone who could help her through anything. Together.

The realization hit her so fast that it was not long until she discovered something else. It was so new, yet so old. She had not had this feeling for anyone in a very long time, so long, in fact, she was beginning to wonder if she was even capable of having this emotion.

She loved him.

She was about to break into a sprint to his room to fix what she had done, when something stopped her.

A parade of red shirts marched down the hall, and in the center of their merry band was what Lynn believed to be the attacker.

His presence was imminent, you could feel it in the room. It was suffocating, slowly absorbing all the oxygen throughout the space. He seemed to be aware of everything, taking it all in. And then it was as if she was frozen in time, unable to breathe.

He was looking right at her, like he could see through her. Their eyes met, and the moment seemed to go on forever. He looked at her with almost a glimmer of surprise at first, as if she was an old friend he had bumped into at the store. It was soon replaced with a knowing smile, revealing his sharpened fangs. He seemed to be threatening her without a word passing his lips, a promise that would be kept. She shivered, and time began once again. He moved on with the marching band of red, the grin never leaving his face.

She was very unnerved at the encounter, and she was sure that he knew it. She tried desperately to shake it off, but the feeling of suffocation still lingered.

On the verge of a panic attack, she rushed into the mechanical bay. She didn't let herself breathe until she was lying safely on the catwalk. She let her legs dangle over the edge, slowing closing her eyes.

As soon as she did, she was plagued with flashes of his green reptilian eyes, staring right through to the deepest part of herself. It was like he knew everything about her, past, present, future, just by a glance. He was always there, he always had been.

And he always would be.

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"You took longer than I had previously anticipated," he chastised coolly. He had been standing towards the wall when Lynn came in, but he immediately turned to face her the moment her foot hit the floor.

His gaze struck her as intense as before, but it took every fiber of her being to not freeze over. Her resolve stood firm, and she nonchalantly breezed over to his cell.

He was very tall, with deep skin. He wore elegant clothes, in various shades of dark grey and crimson. He must have been a part of high society, or at least very wealthy. Half of his head was shaved, but his scarlet hair hung over his face, almost shielding one of his snake-like eyes. He had a long mouth, almost to his ears. Everything about his face was sharp, from his nose to his eyes. He was, to say the least, very intimidating.

"I would like to know why I seem to be so fascinating to you. I do not appreciate your particular attitude towards me," she stated, trying to put on her most business-like air she could muster. She couldn't sleep with his eyes staring back at her, she needed answers.

He smirked slyly at that, cutting straight through her mask. He saw everything that she was trying so desperately to hide, and he enjoyed her discomfort towards the situation. She was not used to being on this side of the glass. He turned away from her, allowing the stifling silence to continue.

"What do you want from me?" She was becoming increasingly desperate, her resolve crumbling. He was smothering her without even touching her. She couldn't take this for very much longer.

"Everything, you stupid girl," he hissed. He tried to put back on his royal façade, and let a pause go on for longer than it should have. "You really don't know, do you?"

Her face twisted in confusion. She had no idea what he was trying to get at. She couldn't go on without oxygen for this long, and she was beginning to cave. "Don't know what? I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," he whispered. He turned to her, eyes burning with intensity, a smile stretched menacingly across his face, "…sister."

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AN: Drama bomb alert! The next chapter will help you to understand a bit better. Please follow, review and favorite! Live Long and Prosper!


	11. Chapter 11: Beautifully Tragic

AN: Hey friends! This is the chapter I have been waiting for. I really hope you like it, because I know that I do! Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 11: Beautifully Tragic

_She let her hand graze the jagged edges of the broken tree, letting her fingertips linger on the harsh bark. She tried desperately to memorize each crack, every protrusion in what was left of the once massive elm. The girl finally turned to the forbidding woman, cold eyes glazed over as if by ice. The girl hung her head to stare down at the quivering dry grass, cowering under the unforgiving wind. The stump started to crumble around her, and soon the rest of the once never ending land stopped at the horizon. It was suddenly all so small, so delicate, breaking apart around her._

_ It wasn't supposed to be like this._

It isn't supposed to be like this.

Everything was beginning to close in around her, the room stretching. Everything that she had once thought, all the things that she had held as truth was now invalid. She would have screamed if she hadn't lost her ability to speak. She tried to grasp something to not let her be swallowed into the void that was threatening to consume her. She searched for something that she knew in her heart was real.

Pavel. That idiot.

"You aren't making any sense, whoever you are. Is this an attempt to blindside me?" She began to put the pieces together, but she knew that there was something missing, something she feared more than anything.

His devious smile never left his face, and his gaze never wavered. He was enjoying her inner turmoil, her fight to make sense of what she was destined to discover. "I was not completely honest with you before. You are not my sister," he paused. He still held his expression of triumph, which was the only thing that kept Lynn from sighing in relief. "You are only my half-sister."

At this point Lynn was sure that he was playing games with her. "You are trying to mess with my head. Let me tell you something, mister. Your sad attempts to throw me off my guard will not work. I am a rock," she cried defiantly.

"You are just like mother," he sneered. "…unfortunately." After that last comment, she was almost thrown over the edge. What was he playing at? "Just as self-righteous and annoying as ever. Both of you think you can just throw me away, wave your hand and I disappear," he hissed at her.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to not become unraveled in his smoldering presence. "You were thrown away by your parents? Well at least we have one thing in common," she huffed. Then he did something unexpected. He began to laugh.

"You think your parents abandoned you? Far from it, little sister. You have quite the warped sense of reality," he chuckled. "No, your doting parents didn't leave you in that ocean on Earth. I did."

The ocean. How did he know that? She almost went up in flames, furious at his claims. "I am getting real tired of your stupid mind games, prisoner. I'm leaving. Enjoy your time in solitary confinement." Lynn was inches away from the door when the moment froze. Except this time, it wasn't in her head.

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

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Chekov stared out at the void stretching out in front of him. It was all so pointless, so unnecessary. Space, in all its entirety, could never be fully explained. Why were they even out here? They hadn't accomplished anything, other than a massive hangover that lasted over a week. Suddenly another question came to mind. Why was he here?

Sure he had been one of Star Fleet's finest (and youngest), but why had he been assigned to this specific mission? Where did he fit in with the team? The only person that actually listened to him (really listened to him) was Lynn, and she had thrown him away like everyone else. Once he stopped being useful to anyone, he often found himself alone, confused and asking questions that didn't have answers.

After leaving Lynn's ward he had been angry at her, furious even. He had done so much for her, and had been with her through a lot of things, both good and bad. He couldn't seem to understand what he had done wrong. He was only trying to help, but he soon realized that Lynn was the kind of person that didn't want help, or at least admit that she wanted help. It was just the way that she was.

He loved her, just the way she was. Though she might deny him at times, or even throw him out of her life entirely, he would still be there. When she would say that she wanted him to leave, he would stay. Because he knew that she was lying to herself. He mentally wrote down that they would have to work on that whole trust thing.

Lynn just needed some time to herself to accept what he had just realized. He would never force the truth on her. That would just make her retreat farther into herself. She needed to discover what was right by herself, and then he would be there for her. He would always be there for her, whether she wanted him or not. They would get through this together, just like everything else.

After a while he decided it would be beneficial to visit her again, and try to make amends. He sprinted over to her ward, a smile gracing his face. He was determined to make this work.

"Lynn, I know you don't want me here, but just hear me," he stopped mid-sentence. "…out." She wasn't there. His mind raced to think of where she might be, when the emergency alarm went off. Red lights flashed throughout the hall as Chekov poked his head out the door. He grabbed the nearest red shirt and asked him what was going on.

Fear was imminent in their eyes. "The attacker has escaped," was all they said before they continued in their run towards the bridge.

Chekov was then left alone, with questions that could never be answered, and the need to find someone that had already left.

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AN: Sorry these last few have been so short! Details will be revealed soon enough! Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	12. Chapter 12: Finding Shade

AN: Hello! Sorry this one is a day late. This chapter was a bit difficult to write, considering all the factors. The evil plan has finally been set in motion! Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 12: Finding Shade

For the second time in twenty-four hours, Seirulaen Arquette woke up to a blinding array of light and color. It took her a minute to get her eyes to focus, as everything around her was a blur of brightness. Man her head hurt like something else.

She was in a very bright room, where everything was white, except for a corner of a wall. It was singed, cracking around the edges, contrasted heavily with the white of the room. She tried to stand, but she soon discovered that she was sitting in a chair. Her arms were strapped down, of course. Her mind raced to remember how she got there, but all she could recall was a pair of snake-like eyes cutting through her, taking her apart like some animal to be studied. She knew that she had to get out of there. She fought against her restraints, but it was useless.

There had to be another way.

As she tried desperately to come up with a somewhat suitable plan, a doorway that she hadn't noticed previously slid open. It was the man with the snake eyes.

She was beginning to wonder if his face ever hurt from smiling so much.

"Greetings, little sister. I hope you have found your accommodations to your liking. I was hoping we may have a little chat about your impending future," his voice was smooth, but it tasted artificial.

"I have no reason to let me grace you with a proper conversation, unless it is you giving me answers. Where am I? Why am I here? Who are you?" She was not giving into this whack job anytime soon.

"Slow down, sister. Everything will be revealed in due time. For now, I think that we should introduce ourselves. I am Vermilio, the rightful king of Oculaire," he stated gallantly. Boy, someone sure thought highly of themselves.

"Well, king of Ocu -whatever, I'm Seirulaen Arquette. But you probably already knew that," she sneered. She was not going to give him an inch. She knew this guy's type. He was power hungry, and thought that his actions were justified because of his quest for what was "right" in his eyes, even if it meant stepping on as many people as needed. Getting out of here was not going to be an easy task.

"I am aware of your Earth-given name. Would you like to know your real one?" He was attempting to seem kind in her eyes, giving her the answers she had searched her entire life for. He was trying to get her on his side, but also keeping in place that he was in control. She thought that it might be beneficial for her if she tried to play along. She put on her most interested face. She really hoped it didn't look like a mask.

"You know what my real name is?" Her eyes widened in mock surprise, and she fought off the urge to laugh at this most ridiculous situation.

His smile seemed to spread wider across his dark face. She prayed that he was buying it. "Why of course. I am your older brother. You are Princess Caelum of Oculaire, daughter to King Nephriticus and Queen Mauveine," he hissed out her name in unadulterated disdain, as well as the names of her "parents".

She really broke character after that. "Okay, so I always thought that I had a ridiculous name, I mean, what the heck is cerulean blue? They could have at least spelled it normally," she said through fighting back laughter. This guy was really quite the catch. Lynn's panic over the situation was beginning to diminish as the conversation continued. "So, what, we were like little royal babies together in a big magical castle made of rainbows and we would ride unicorns in a wooded glen? "

"We were never together, you and I," he said, lost in his own train of thought. "As I said before, I am your half-brother. We do not share the same father. Before you were born our mother fell in love with a traveling human. I was then created, the bastard spawn of a queen and an alien nomad. She kept me hidden from your father, until he was finally killed in battle. By then you were born, and I was old enough to take my rightful place on the throne. However I was denied my birthright, and instead banished back behind the curtains. You were to be the new queen once you were ready, the 'true' ruler of Oculaire," he hissed. Lynn was processing all of this new information, only half listening to his tale of woe whiling trying to find an exit.

"I, of course, could not let this happen. I stole you from your crib and placed you in that ocean to die. Though I would love to see you dead, I still need you if I am ever to get my throne back. It was simply a stroke of fate that you were on the ship I was attempting to seize," he finished, his elegant composure slowly coming back to him. He slowly turned to her, suddenly realizing something. "Why have you not spoken as I tell you of your past? Is this not what you have wished for your whole life, to have answers?"

"Honestly your highness, I think you are a bag full of shit waiting to be thrown into a loony bin on some deserted planet," she managed to say. She was becoming increasingly frustrated because of her limited escape options.

The man sniffed the air, disgusted with her comment. He was beginning to give up on the idea that she would ever accept the truth of her past. He was quite unhappy with how she reacted to the situation, as he liked to believe that he fed off the energy of other people's fear. She was more irritated than anything else.

"I will leave you to think about what I have told you, and by tomorrow we shall be in Oculaire. Farewell, dear sister."

"Yeah, adios," was all she huffed out. She had found it.

The black smear on that white wall would be her salvation.

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AN: Excuse me my plot is showing…whoops! By the way, I did not make up those names. If you were interested, 'vermilio' is part of the name of a bug that creates the pigment color 'crimson'. 'Caelum' is the word that 'cerulean' is derived from, and it's Latin for "sky". 'Mauveine' was the first synthetic organic chemical dye, derived from the shade of violet called 'mauve'. 'Nephriticus' is a type of jade with a distinct green color ('nephritis' is a kidney disease. Don't get them confused). 'Oculaire' is just French for 'eye'. I thought it sounded cool. Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	13. Chapter 13: The Raven in the Moon

AN: Hey guys! I'm sorry about all this delay. These next few weeks are going to be very difficult for me, so I am going to try my best to put up new chapters every other day. Our story is beginning to come to a close, so I hope you enjoy these last few chapters! Naslashdat'sya!

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Chapter 13: The Raven in the Moon

"Ebat kopat," Chekov whispered. As if this day couldn't possibly get any worse. He sprinted over the bridge, cursing in Russian under his breath the whole way.

"Captain, what needs to be done?" He wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"We need to trace the direction that the attacker is moving. He was able to bypass the guards and secure a hostage to get back onto his ship, so we are on level blue priority. Chekov, can you trace the signal that his core is giving off?" The only way you could see James Tiberius Kirk's fear was if you stood inches away from him and looked into his eyes. Kirk was always so put together in intense situations like this; Chekov wondered how he pulled it off.

"Of course, captain," he swiftly said, turning to his station. He went right to the task at hand, but he soon realized that the attacker's signal was something that he had never encountered before. His face twisted in confusion, going over possible explanations and courses of action. It seemed like the ship was completely…alien.

"Sulu, take a census of the crew. We need to identify the hostage," Kirk commanded.

"Yes, sir," Sulu replied. It was beginning to seem that the attacker was escaping to a particular destination based on his flight patterns.

"Captain, I believe the assailant is attempting some kind of rendezvous at a specific location. I am beginning to track him now," Chekov retorted.

"Can we follow him?" Kirk was beginning to become more and more anxious as time went on.

"Yes sir, I have his destination locked on the navigational systems. It seems as though he is traveling to an unknown planet. We have no record of it anywhere, Captain." Chekov's day was becoming stranger by the minute.

"Punch it, Sulu," Kirk demanded.

"Sir, we have no idea what this planet is, or who's there. I think we should wait until we-" Chekov tried, but it seemed as though the Captain knew enough.

"I said punch it, Sulu," Kirk commanded defiantly.

"Yes sir," Sulu sighed. There was nothing they could say once their Captain had made up his mind. He was as dense as Scotty's ego.

Space seemed to stretch out in front of them, being pulled apart like taffy. Chekov always thought that going into warp was like being thrown out of a giant cosmic slingshot. Suddenly stars exploded in front of them, and they were greeted by an enormous ball of blue.

It was probably the most beautiful color he had ever seen. It was a deep blue, but still soft and rich. It was the color of the sea that was so far away, the part that you gazed at longingly when you were sitting on the beach. It was the last layer of waves on the horizon that you wished you could touch; the part of the water that you thought went on forever. It was the expanse of sky after a storm, the color beginning to return to the grey sky, the color that you thought was never ending on the horizon. It was the color that appeared where the sky melted into the sea, the part that went on for ever and ever.

It was cerulean.

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"Sulu, who's missing?" The Captain was the first of the crew to get over the sight of new planet. Chekov realized that he had stood up in his awe, and promptly slid back down into his chair.

"I'm still waiting on McCoy to report on the patients in the medical bay. Everyone else has been accounted for, sir," Sulu said stonily.

"Chekov, has the attacker arrived?"

"Yes, he is approaching the planet's atmosphere. Based on his readings, it looks as though he is low on fuel and his landing gear has been compromised. What is our course of action, sir?" Everyone in the bridge turned to him, expectantly staring at every change in his face.

"We will not attack, not with one of the crew still on that ship. He's just about stuck on the edge of that planet, so he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Let's try to make contact with any sentient life, and hopefully we will be able to inform them of the situation. I want to gather a small team to infiltrate the ship and get our person back, and then we will decide what will be done with the assailant," the Captain paused. "Uhura, can you establish a connection with the locals?"

"I'll try, sir," she retorted. "Captain, it seems as though our connection server has been cut off. I think the attacker is interfering with our communications."

"Can we try to reestablish the connection?" The situation was beginning to look very grim in Kirk's eyes.

"No. He must have disconnected everything before his escape. It would take us hours to get it back up," she replied.

"Damn. It looks like we're going to have to take down this guy on our own. I need a few officers to-" Kirk started, but was suddenly cut off by a distressed Sulu.

"Captain, McCoy has reported a missing patient," he started. "I've never heard of them before. A…uh…Seirulaen Arquette, if I'm not mistaken. She's one of Scotty's, sir," Sulu fumbled with the pronunciation of the hostage's name.

_It was the color that appeared where the sky melted into the sea, the part that went on for ever and ever._

It was Seirulaen.

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AN: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry if this chapter was a little dull, the next should be a bit more exciting. Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	14. Chapter 14: Echo

AN: The number of new chapters are becoming fewer and fewer, so I am really trying to end it with a bang. I'm still in the process of figuring out exactly how I want to end it, since I keep going back and forth between ideas. I am very bad at making up my mind. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 14: Echo

"Captain, I volunteer to retrieve the hostage," Chekov stated firmly as he shot up from his chair. The entire bridge shifted their eyes from Kirk to the Russian, some in awe and some stifling laughter.

"Uh, kid, I don't think that's the best idea. You aren't really trained for a reconnaissance mission," Kirk tried pitifully.

"Chekov, sit down. You're embarrassing yourself," Sulu hissed next to him.

"I know I may not be right for this retrieval, but I need to make sure that she's alright," he paused. "Sir, I have to get her back." After all those months of being stepped on, made fun of, the butt of everyone else's jokes, the crew knew at that moment that there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop this kid. He was not taking no for an answer, even if it meant walking himself right into the valley of death.

The Captain took a moment to study the boy, trying to understand this uncharacteristic act of defiance. The silence stretched on, until finally it was as if the pieces of the shattered mirror began to pull themselves together. Kirk's face softened, and he took a deep breath.

"Permission granted. Now get the hell off my ship and get that kid back," he replied. A small smile graced his face in recognition, and Chekov gladly returned it.

"Thank you, Captain," he said softly, the edge gone from his voice. With pure determination in his heart, Pavel Chekov gallantly walked across the bridge and out into the elevator.

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"Man, you are an idiot. You are the biggest moron I have ever met, you know that? Jesus," Sulu sighed exasperatedly. After seeing how dedicated and hard headed Chekov was about this rescue mission, Sulu decided he had to come as well, if only to make sure he didn't kill himself. They were walking to their shuttle, Chekov leading the way like Moses parting the Red Sea.

"You can't just walk into an armed alien space ship like some galactic hero and swing over a pit of peripherally-blind henchmen with your princess in tow. It doesn't work like that, this isn't some supernatural sci-fi thriller from the seventies," Sulu grumbled. He continued to lecture him about his destructive behavior even though he was aware the Russian wasn't listening to him in the slightest. He just liked to hear himself talk.

Chekov was in the middle of a heated battle between himself. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around how Lynn had been captured. He still had a nice yellow bruise from the last time he tried to wake her up. Why Lynn, what was so special about her? He could have taken any unsuspecting wandering red-shirt. What was his goal, what was he hoping to gain from this little endeavor? Was he using her as bait? Ransom? Insurance? Too many questions buzzed around his mind, each one blurring together. The only clear thought he had was to find Lynn.

He needed to do this as much as he needed to breathe oxygen.

He needed her as much as he needed to breathe oxygen, as hard as it was to admit.

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"Are you sure you know how to fly this thing?"

The shuttle rocked unnaturally, causing Sulu to shift from the crowded helm. No one else had volunteered to join them on their suicide mission of a quest; however this didn't really come as a big shock to him.

"Please, my friend. I could have easily designed this myself. Though I must admit, operating it is a bit different," Chekov mumbled.

"A bit? Great," Sulu sighed. The things he did for that kid.

"Hikaru, I think we have reached our destination. Take command of the shuttle, I will begin to find a porthole that we can enter through. Do you have the charges?"

"I told you, don't call me that," he hissed. "Yes, I have the charges."

"Once we get in, we'll have to be ready for anything. The Captain said to set phasers to stun until we know what we're dealing with," Chekov paused. "I've found a substantial entrance. Pass me the charges." Sulu begrudgingly handed him the explosives, and he began setting the timer.

"Alright, we have limited time to get the shuttle into the hole I'm about to blow up. Once we're in, the emergency shields in the ship should close up the opening, so we have to make sure we're not closed in with it," Chekov warned. This was going to have to be a quick operation that had a high likelihood of failure. Though fear was finally beginning to settle in on Chekov, he held on to his desperate need to save Lynn. He had to be strong for her, even when his genius brain screamed for him to run as fast as he could back to Russia. This wasn't about him anymore.

"Okay, we need to move in three…two…one…now!"

The thing about space is that it is soundless, there is nothing but black. The universe is naturally deaf, unknowing to anything but the sweet sound of silence. The porthole exploded in an array of fiery reds, though you would only know that the charges had worked if you had been looking at their destination. The only thing that Chekov heard was the sound of his heart beating in his throat.

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"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Chekov tried to laugh but it sounded more like a goat being strangled.

Sulu glared lethally at the ensign on the floor, still trying to catch his breath. Once Chekov had peeled himself from the foreign ground, he moved to survey their surroundings. Everything about it was alien to him, as if he had just opened his first astrophysics textbook. They had taken a very rough landing, damaging a good portion of the left side of the hull.

"We don't have much time; guards could be on their way. We have to locate Lynn," Chekov commanded. This was no time to study.

"Whatever you say, Captain Chekov," Sulu breathed sarcastically. Chekov started towards a hall, checking all the doors. "There has to be an easier way to do this. Sulu, can't you lock onto members of the crew's heat signatures?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the helmsman retorted. He quickly whipped out a data screen, punching in Lynn's serial number. "Okay, she's just down this next hall to the right. Man, she's really cold."

"She could be in a freezing chamber, or even in cryogenic sleep. I have to save her," Chekov cried, horror apparent on his face. He began sprinting in the direction Sulu had pointed out, ignoring his cries to slow down. He ran on his feet and rounded the corner on the ground.

"Oy vey," Chekov mumbled, rubbing his temples.

"Dammit, you alien whack job, I've just about had it with-"

A sharp intake of breath was heard as Chekov looked up.

It was Seirulaen.

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AN: Thanks for reading! Just a few chapters left! Please follow, favorite and review! As always, Live Long and Prosper!


	15. Chapter 15: Eve(ning)

AN: Hey all! This is (probably) the last chapter before the conclusion. This is the super-climactic action scene, so keep in mind that I am not a stunt choreographer by any stretch of the imagination. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 16: Eve(ning)

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Hey, you actually found her. There goes my shore leave money," Sulu grumbled.

"They sent you guys to rescue me? Honestly? I didn't know I was that disliked," Lynn questioned, matching Sulu's annoyed attitude. She roughly pulled Chekov off the ground, who was still trying to process her sudden appearance.

"But…Sulu said you were cold," was all he could manage. She gave him a slightly perturbed glance before she began to unconsciously rub the back of her hand. "I'm ectothermic. I'm naturally that way."

"Have you just been roaming the halls this whole time? Why didn't you just get into an emergency escape pod?" Sulu found this whole situation quite perplexing, as nothing seemed to add up. There were more questions than there were answers at this point.

"Do you think that I would have been taken by a guy that just lets me walk around his ship aimlessly? I was locked up in some room on the other side of the hull, but it must have been close to where we hit it with those stabilizers because there was a tear in the outer layer. I was able to peel it back enough to let me fit. I didn't even break a nail," she smiled deviously as she flashed her claws in front of them. "In fact I was just on my way to the communications board when the boy blunder ran into me," she hissed as she turned to the stunned Chekov. "What the hell did I tell you about me being able to take care of myself? You will never learn," she sighed. She would have started on a heated rant if she hadn't been so happy to see him. "We don't have much time. This guy may be a psychopath, but he knows what he's doing. We have to save the queen," she said, deathly serious.

"The queen? What queen? First we're planning an escape and now we're saving an unknown monarch? I did not sign up for this," Sulu retorted. He was just about done with those two. He was considering leaving them both on the ship to fend for themselves.

"Sulu's right, Lynn. We have to get you out of here before we can save a…uh…queen," Chekov tried. He was beginning to snap out of his daze, and soon he was reminded of the task at hand. They still knew nothing about the ship or the assailant, so the importance of getting out of their undetected was growing as the clock ticked on.

"We need to go sooner rather than later, lady," Sulu agreed.

"Come on, Lynn. We can figure this out on the Enterprise. Together," Chekov said quietly, pulling one of her hands from their nervous dance. He looked up at her, the tension that had been building since the attack melting from his face. All that was left was what had yet to be spoken.

Her face softened, letting her hand relax into his. She had missed him so much, even though they hadn't been apart for more than a few hours. She hated to feel like she was dependent on another person, because that would be a weakness. At that moment, she tried not to care. For once in her life she didn't.

But the moment passed.

"How lovely. I'm so glad that you have friends, Caelum. Mummy always worried you would be too antisocial." A sudden chill fell over the trio, as Lynn maniacally searched for the source of the hissing voice.

"Where are you, you insane snake! Get your ass over her so I can smack the spray tan out of it," she bellowed down the hall, ripping open doors in her wake.

"Quite the charmer, isn't she? I just wanted you to be aware that I am now fully functional, and our little plan will be continuing on schedule. We should be landing in Arcus City momentarily," he paused. "Before I forget, I've already disabled the escape pods and discarded of your inadequate little rescue shuttle, so please fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride." Lynn could almost hear his smirk over the intercom before it all went dead.

"Dammit," she cried. "We're too late." It was as if the light within her was flickering, the failure of her mission settling against her shoulders. She slid against the ash colored wall, sinking in on herself. The weight of the chaos that could be wrought on those people, whoever they were on that planet, was almost unbearable to her.

"Lynn, it's alright. We'll find a way out," Chekov tried consoling her. He sat next to her on the floor, still holding her cool hand. Sulu had begun pacing the hallway muttering a string of profanities, each connected to Chekov in some way or another.

"Pavel, he's going to kill the queen of the people on that planet. He claims that he's her illegitimate son, and he wants the throne to himself. I was supposed to save her; I couldn't let that lunatic hurt people when I had it in my power to stop it. It wouldn't be…human of me," she whispered, clutching Chekov's hand tighter.

The Russian thought this over for a moment. If what the assailant's plans did become a reality, it was Starfleet's responsibility to stop him. However, how they would stop him was not something that he had quite figured out yet. They were stuck in there, probably without communications and ways of escape. What the attacker would do with them once they landed could only be left to the imagination. As the young prodigy began to piece together the situation, their options became more and more limited.

"Lynn, could you hack into the system's database to find the blueprints for the ship?" Chekov had only one idea left after he used the process of elimination on all of his other plans.

"I'm sure I could," she replied, looking up curiously at him.

"Do it," he commanded. This was no time for hysterics if what he was thinking actually worked. Lynn hesitantly stood up from her place on the floor, at first wanting to punch him because he didn't say please, but then began to understand the importance of her cooperation.

She found a data port and began punching in override codes, Chekov noting that she got into the system almost naturally.

"I'm in, but I'm almost positive we're not going to find a secret emergency escape port on this thing," she said sarcastically.

"Where is the pilot's bay?"

"Uh…we're about three halls down from it," she replied, and then looked up quizzically at him. "What are you planning?"

The boy did not answer the girl immediately, and instead decided to let himself smile. This was it, the day he had been waiting for when he was no longer the adorable Russian ensign. Today he was Pavel Chekov, navigational officer and ensign for the U.S.S Enterprise, and to Seirulaen Arquette, Lord of the Russian Mountain Bears.

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"Are you sure this will work, kid?"

It had taken Sulu a lot of convincing on Chekov's part, but he was able to get him on board after a few minutes of persuasion.

"Ye of little faith," Chekov retorted back as he set his gun to kill. They had decided that the best plan of action was to ambush the assailant and steal the ship before he could land on the planet. Lynn was ecstatic with the idea, as it had been her original plan to take him out form the beginning.

"He's not to be underestimated. Remember, he kidnapped me," Lynn interjected. The mere comment made Chekov rub his side in painful remembrance. "Make sure you get your flippy retractable sword thing ready, Sulu," she added.

The helmsman gave her a look that could make Death fear him, but resorted to pulling out his sword in submission.

"Man, I will never get over how cool that is," she grinned.

"No time for childish comments now, my comrades. This is the time for a glorious battle," Chekov reminded them. It took a lot of self-control for Lynn not to bust another one of her ribs in laughter at his uncharacteristic seriousness.

He led the way to the bay, and they were surprised to find that there were no guards, traps or defenses of any kind on their trek. The feeling of uneasiness slowly began to descend on the troupe, but before they could do anything about it they found themselves outside the doorframe of the bay.

Naturally the door was left open, revealing the reptilian assailant perched comfortably on the captain's chair.

"Well, well, well. I expected you all sooner. I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed," he said evenly. His characteristic smirk was drawn up on his face, revealing his sharpened fangs threateningly.

"I'm only going to say this once, you maniacal psychopath. I'm giving you this last chance to surrender now peacefully to Starfleet," Lynn ordered as she stepped forward. The dark man let out a laugh that made even Sulu shutter.

"Surrender? That doesn't sound like me at all, little sister," he hissed. At that both Chekov and Sulu turned to her questioningly, part in shock and the other in horror.

"He's under the impression that I'm his long lost half-sister. I'll explain later," she growled, bearing her teeth in defiance.

"So, attacker of the U.S.S. Enterprise, what do you say to our final offer?" Chekov was getting tired of his attempts to sidetrack them.

"How about…no," he retorted, throwing the Russian against the wall with a wave of his hand.

"What the hell was that?" Sulu glared at Lynn in anger.

"I told you, don't underestimate this guy," she tried. Sulu rolled his eyes, but charged at him with his sword at the ready. As if out of thin air, a sword with a glittering red blade appeared in the attacker's hands. Man he was fast, Lynn thought.

As a fight between the two ensued, Lynn rushed to Chekov's side. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine, I'm fine. Go help Sulu," he cringed. She helped him up, but he seemed to be taking care of himself. Once she knew that he was alright, she stealthy darted back behind the assailant. As she was about to tear through his throat with her claws, she found herself being thrown to the wall by her neck.

"This is not the way you die, little sister. Mummy will need proof you are dead," he cackled, still fending off the wary Sulu and pinning her against the wall. Soon enough, Sulu's sword skittered to the floor, and he looked up in defeat. Before the attacker could take a breath to gloat, a shot was heard.

Lynn strained to look towards the sound, seeing a disheveled Chekov holding a smoking phaser.

"You…you actually got him," Sulu whispered, shock written over his face. Lynn fell to the floor, gasping desperately for air. Chekov sighed, a grin playing at his lips.

"As your kind says, I'm not dead yet."

The trio turned to the crumbled figure, rising slowly from the ground. He turned to Chekov with a devious smile before forcing all three of them against the wall.

"You actually think you can stop me? I am invincible to you humans, as powerful as your so called God," he sneered. "I will thoroughly enjoy this. I just can't help myself. I really wanted to behead you in front of mum."

"You've…forgotten something," Lynn pitifully choked out as she clutched her throat.

"And what was that, dear sister?" He turned his killing glare to her, but for once she didn't freeze over under it.

"I'm not human."

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AN: Hope you liked this one! There might be two more chapters, I haven't decided yet. Please favorite, follow and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	16. Chapter 16: Aurum

AN: Hello! Sorry for all the delay, it's the week of the dreaded midterms. The final chapter should be posted on Friday (I know. I'm probably going to start crying while I write it). Just a heads up, this entire chapter will be in the point of view of Lynn. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 16: Aurum

I was on the floor. This was becoming a habit of mine.

My surroundings blurred into each other, making nothing around me intelligible. I attempted to sit up, but my body screamed in pain at my betrayal. Maybe I should just stay down here. Yeah. This floor is pretty comfortable.

A flash of yellow descended upon me, hovering over my form on the floor.

"Hey, it's the Lord of the Russian Mountain Bears," I heard myself say, almost drunkenly. Colors and shapes still danced around me hurriedly, as if they were all in some kind of rush. Why were all the things in a rush? I tried to invite another wavering form of yellow to lay on the ground with me, but I didn't think they were listening to me.

"Lynn?"

I heard someone calling my name. "Hey, that's my name," I laughed. Where was I? Had Chekov convinced me to go drinking with him? It must have been a bet. I hoped I had at least beat Cupcake.

Suddenly everything started to sharpen all at once, like when you put on glasses for the first time. Everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours hit me like a speeding car would a doe.

"Where is he? Pavel, you better hold me back, because I'm not making any promises that we'll get him back to the Enterprise in one piece," I swung in random directions blindly, trying to process everything. I saw Chekov kneeling beside me, worry deeply etched on his soft face. Sulu had backed himself in a corner, clutching his sword in his shaking hands. His eyes were flooded with fear. What was he afraid of? I looked up to Chekov, the room still swimming in my vision. I searched his face desperately, looking for answers. I tried to remember what had happened, but after Chekov had shot the assailant the colors stopped. If I looked hard enough, I could see something new in his eyes that I had never seen before. Swimming in his light eyes was something new, something he was desperately trying to hide from me.

"You…shot him, right?" I stumbled with my words, searching his eyes as they reflected back in mine.

"Yes," he whispered, face remaining stony.

"Did you kill him?" What happened? What was happening?

"No, Lynn," he paused, seemingly fighting within himself, searching for the words. "You did."

Then I saw the fear in his eyes, ever so small, but ever so prominent, and I knew what he feared. On the verge of panic I looked over to Sulu, still holding his sword up in a readied stance. He was afraid of me. They were afraid of me.

My vision began to swim again, but this time it wasn't because I was waking up. I shoved myself up on unsteady feet, searching around the room. It was in ruins, debris scattered around the bay haphazardly. In the middle of the floor was an unmoving form wrapped in crimson, and just barely visible between the folds of cloth was one cinnamon-colored hand.

"Oh my god," I cried, tears spilling out of my eyes. My knees gave out under me, and I collapsed onto the once comforting floor, rolling in on myself. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a fuzzy form of yellow. It hesitated, conversing with the other color yellow, before it ever so slowly edged closer. I felt it uncertainly wrap itself around me. I melted hopelessly into the yellow, loudly sobbing into it. For a moment I reflected back on my younger self, replaying the taunts and jeers of the townspeople. I wondered if they had been right about me, that I truly was just a monster. The yellow was the only thing that kept me from believing that. The yellow kept me there, held me tightly against itself. It reminded me of a time that seemed so long ago.

"Pavel," I whispered, almost inaudible.

"Seirulaen," the yellow replied into my dark hair.

"Hikaru, now can we please get out of here?"

I looked up, clawing the wetness from the face, suddenly remembering where I was.

"I hate to break it to you weird freaky paranormal alien lady, but you sort of broke the ship," Sulu said sarcastically, still holding out his sword. I looked to the yellow that had now morphed into Chekov now that I could see properly, and saw that the small sliver of fear that had once tainted his clear eyes had vanished. I would have smiled, just like we always did, but I couldn't. This couldn't be something that he could just tuck in with me in bed like usual. But now was not the time, and I had to convince myself that just as much as I had to him.

"I…can fix that," I replied, eyes almost becoming glassy once again. Chekov helped me up, and I continued to lean on him until I got into the captain's chair.

"Computer: damage control," I commended, voice cracking at the end. I picked up a discarded data pad and scanned through the incoming information.

"Navigational systems are down, fuel is leaking from the previous attack, and we seem to be on a pre-planned collision course to a place called Arcus City," I said as my face scrunched in confusion. Suddenly it all seemed to come together, the pieces sewing themselves back to become one clear mosaic. "He was going to drive us into the city," I whispered. "Computer: give me a status update on the emergency escape pods." I frantically flipped through the new information until I came to what I was searching for.

"Chekov, he was going to leave us to crash into the Royal Palace of Oculaire," I whispered, fear flooding my eyes.

"That was how he was going to kill the queen," he declared, running up to her side. "We need to stop this ship before it makes it to its final destination."

"It's locked on, we'd have to manually override the code. I'm an engineer, not a computer hacker," I retorted hopelessly.

"I can do that," Chekov beamed, eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. He rushed frantically towards the main navigational system, punching in number sequences so fast it made my head hurt.

"Excuse me, but I'm still here," Sulu huffed, awkwardly crossing his arms with his sword.

"We're off the course, but we're still running out of fuel. We need to make a landing sooner rather than later," Chekov reported.

"Computer: scan safe areas for a landing," I ordered. "Has anyone landed a ship without landing gear before?"

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AN: I hope you liked this chapter! I wanted to shake it up by putting it in Lynn's perspective. "Arcus" is Latin for rainbow, and "aurum" is Latin for gold. Please follow, favorite and review! Live Long and Prosper!


	17. Chapter 17: Prologue

AN: Did I say Friday? I meant Saturday. Whoops. Naslazhdat'sya!

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Chapter 17: Prologue

"Chekov, try to get communications up with the Enterprise. We're not going to be able to get back up there ourselves," Lynn ordered, furiously biting her lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood. "This isn't going to be an easy landing."

The dark ebony ship dived towards the planet's blue surface, speed increasing drastically as they got closer. The stabilizers that the Enterprise had planted on the alien ship paralyzed most of the ship's main components, making them literally free fall towards the planet.

"Have they had any contact with the locals? Would they be able to help with the landing? I want to make sure there are no more casualties on this mission," Lynn commanded numbly. Her face contorted in concentration, trying to block out the impact warnings flashing on the screens.

"The Enterprise is on their way, but we are going too fast. They are still trying to reassemble their off-world communications. The assailant made sure that their connection between the natives was severed," Chekov reported, looking up from his screen. He starred up at her, eyes still gleaming with blind faith. Lynn suspected that this was how the crew looked to the Captain in situations like this. She never wanted to be a leader, but it always seemed to pan out that way. She was going to have to be strong for him, even if it was only to face their last moments together, as dramatic as that sounded to her.

"Sulu, give me a report on the logistics of our…landing. I need to know where to direct the ship, and try to search for a non-populated area," she cringed. The helmsman still looked at her with suspicion, but submitted to her order nonetheless. Lynn was able to make out small lights on the planet, probably clusters of cities and towns. The deep blue of the planet was coming at them too fast.

"Move the ship two clicks to the southeast. There's no sign of life in that area. My heat signature scanner isn't much help, most of the natives on this planet are ectothermic," Sulu retorted. Lynn would have frozen over in that chair if she didn't have ice in her veins already. For a moment, she wondered if Vermilio had been right. An unnatural chill set over her already cold body, wrapping her in an icy embrace. She glanced down at the twinkling lights of civilization, getting closer and closer every moment. Before she could let her mind wander about what had and could have been, a screeching cry broke through the bay.

"The hell was that?" Lynn whipped her head to look out the port, pieces of the hull screaming past. "The ship's breaking apart," she whispered.

"It can't take much more of the heat from entering the planet's atmosphere. We won't be making it to the ground in one piece," Chekov said, worry beginning to set into his face.

"Sulu, put all remaining power into the emergency thrusters… if this piece of shit has any," Lynn growled. She glanced quickly out the port, gazing at the cityscape across from them. She could just see the tops of buildings, gleaming in crystalized silver. It reflected the sun's light and created bursts of colors, dancing across the roofs.

Then, far in the distance, an explosion of color flashed across her eyes. She saw a giant, magnificent structure sparkling in hues she had never seen before, dancing on the gleaming surface. It rose above the other buildings in the city, prominent against the deep blue backdrop. Its towers pointed skyward, and its arches bent into the foundation like rainbows. It was like a grand palace, fit for a queen.

And in a split second, it was gone. Lynn vaguely heard the hysteric cries of Sulu, and called out the Chekov, realization crashing against her like a tidal wave. He turned to her, eyes almost spilling over with words that would always remain unspoken. It all seemed to be going so fast, but time seemed to be freezing around her.

"Pavel," she whispered to the ensign, a single tear running down his cheek. "I love you." The ground rushed soundlessly towards them, and Lynn closed her eyes, a sad smile gracing her pale face.

She was finally home.

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ONE WEEK LATER

"Thought I'd find you in here. McCoy was throwing a fit when he discovered you weren't in your cot," Sulu tried, attempting a weak smile. He starred up at the grated catwalk, noticing a thin leg swinging over the edge. He waited for a response, but sighed in resignation as he started his descent towards the dangling limb.

"Chekov? We really should be back in the medical bay. Why don't we head back together?" Sulu struggled helplessly against the platforms and wires, breathing heavily against the heat of the machinery. "Come on, kid. It's for your well-being," he groaned as he fell back against the floor. The leg vanished, a small arm pulling it up onto the catwalk. "Alright, fine. Have it your way. You can go into cardiac arrest in isolation up there if you want to, but don't say I didn't warn you," Sulu sighed. He looked back up to the Russian's form one last time, fighting with himself to say something more, but everything else he had to say would be falling on deaf ears. He started back towards the exit, pausing at the threshold.

"You're going to have to let her go, Pavel," he said quietly before moving out into the hall, melting into the crowd.

"But I…can't," Chekov whispered, buried under the symphony of the hissing machines. He laid down onto the grated floor, suspended high above the ground. He didn't rest where he usually did, instead situating himself where she used to be when they sat up there together, listening in silence to the melody of the U.S.S. Enterprise. His tears spilled over his face into the grates, melting into the metal where her head used to be.

A looming pipe reflected his face, contorting it into an almost unrecognizable blend of colors. He stared up at the image, studying his warped features. Then he saw something. He gazed into his eyes, mesmerized by the peculiar shade of deep blue that he hadn't noticed before. It was the color that appeared where the sky melted into the sea, the part that went on for ever and ever.

It was cerulean.

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SOMEWHERE ON OCULAIRE

"Will she recover?"

"She should. She is much stronger than us, other than yourself."

"Most likely she is stronger than even me. That will be important when the time comes."

"I suggest you rest, your majesty. You are physically weak from the last treatment."

"I will wait until my daughter awakens. Leave us."

"Yes, your majesty."

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AN: That's it. That was my first fan fiction. I am considering making a part two, but that will be later in the future. This has been so awesome, and I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story. As always, LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.


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